Only a Quarter of Employees Bypass Corporate Security Policies: Webroot Research

Report finds top brass spend more time than their employees planning personal activities

Broomfield, CO – September 20, 2011

According to new research from Webroot, the first Internet security service company, only about 25 percent of employees have tried to bypass company security policies while at work, while nearly all (95 percent) respect the importance of their employer’s measures for protecting their network and customer information.

"It is a pleasant surprise to learn that employees understand the need for increased security and abide by corporate policy," said Jacques Erasmus, chief information security officer for Webroot. "That said, employees at all levels still introduce risk to a corporate network through activities like surfing the web, shopping online, planning personal events and accessing personal email accounts while at work. As we see more and more malware being spread through the browser, such as Zeus and SpyEye which infects users’ computers to track their keystrokes and steal their banking information, it is vitally important for companies to put in place suitable web security solutions and develop effective and secure web security policies to help protect their organisation."

Surveying more than 2,500 employees in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, Webroot also found that executive or senior management staff performed non-work related activities during work at a higher rate than their subordinates. For example, 41 percent of executives reported planning personal events such as vacations, weddings or parties while on the clock, while just 35 percent of regular, full-time employees reported doing similar activities.

Additional Findings:

Employees feel security policies at work are very necessary:

95 percent agree that compliance with their employer’s security policies is important;

83 percent consider protection of customer information and data as a benefit;

89 percent believe corporate security policies help with the prevention of infections or viruses on the company network;

What should organizations do?

For companies wishing to implement a web usage policy to protect itself and its staff, Webroot security experts recommend the following actions:

Define your security policies - With a new generation of web-based attacks, spyware, adware and webmail borne viruses, it’s more important than ever to develop well-thought-out and clearly defined web security policies.

Embrace social media - Social networks are new mediums for digital threats to an organisation. Build these into your policy and implement a set of rules that enables employees to harness all the benefits of these new technologies while protecting your business.

Clearly communicate policies - When rolling out new web security policies through an organisation, it is important to communicate these new policies to all the staff for better adherence to the policy. And regularly communicate with staff about IT and security issues.

Block threats before they reach your network - Roll out a cloud-based web security service that allows you to protect mobile employees as if they were at the office, while monitoring and enforcing your web security policies.

About the Research

Between June 29 and through July 4, 2011, Webroot conducted an online survey of full-time and part-time employees who use a computer at work in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. With a total of 2,508 respondents the margin of error is ±2.0 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. Country-level margins of error are:

About Webroot

Webroot delivers next-generation endpoint security and threat intelligence services to protect businesses and individuals around the globe. Our smarter approach harnesses the power of cloud-based collective threat intelligence derived from millions of real-world devices to stop threats in real time and help secure the connected world. Our award-winning SecureAnywhere® endpoint solutions and BrightCloud® Threat Intelligence Services protect tens of millions of devices across businesses, home users, and the Internet of Things. Trusted and integrated by market-leading companies, including Cisco, F5 Networks, Aruba, Palo Alto Networks, A10 Networks, and more, Webroot is headquartered in Colorado and operates globally across North America, Europe, and Asia. Discover Smarter Cybersecurity™ solutions at www.webroot.com.